> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/buildonviction/victionchain/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Account Commands

> Manage Viction blockchain accounts and wallets

## Overview

The `tomo account` command provides a comprehensive set of subcommands for managing Viction blockchain accounts. Accounts are stored in encrypted format using the keystore mechanism.

## Synopsis

```bash theme={null}
tomo account <command> [options]
```

## Description

Manage accounts, list all existing accounts, import a private key into a new account, create a new account or update an existing account.

It supports interactive mode, when you are prompted for password as well as non-interactive mode where passwords are supplied via a given password file. Non-interactive mode is only meant for scripted use on test networks or known safe environments.

<Warning>
  Make sure you remember the password you gave when creating a new account (with either new or import). Without it you are not able to unlock your account.
</Warning>

<Info>
  Keys are stored under `<DATADIR>/keystore`. It is safe to transfer the entire directory or the individual keys therein between nodes by simply copying.
</Info>

## Subcommands

### list

Print summary of existing accounts.

```bash theme={null}
tomo account list [options]
```

#### Options

<ParamField path="datadir" type="string">
  Data directory for the databases and keystore
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="keystore" type="string">
  Directory for the keystore (default = inside the datadir)
</ParamField>

#### Example

```bash theme={null}
tomo account list
```

#### Output Format

```
Account #0: {0x1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678} keystore:///path/to/keystore/UTC--2024-01-01T00-00-00.000000000Z--1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678
Account #1: {0xabcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12} keystore:///path/to/keystore/UTC--2024-01-02T00-00-00.000000000Z--abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12
```

### new

Create a new account.

```bash theme={null}
tomo account new [options]
```

#### Options

<ParamField path="datadir" type="string">
  Data directory for the databases and keystore
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="keystore" type="string">
  Directory for the keystore (default = inside the datadir)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="password" type="string">
  Password file to use for non-interactive password input
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="lightkdf" type="boolean">
  Reduce key-derivation RAM & CPU usage at some expense of KDF strength
</ParamField>

#### Interactive Example

```bash theme={null}
tomo account new
```

You will be prompted to enter and confirm a password:

```
Your new account is locked with a password. Please give a password. Do not forget this password.
Passphrase: 
Repeat passphrase: 
Address: {0x1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678}
```

#### Non-Interactive Example

```bash theme={null}
tomo account new --password /path/to/password.txt
```

<Warning>
  For non-interactive use, the passphrase can be specified with the --password flag. This is meant to be used for testing only. It is a bad idea to save your password to file or expose in any other way.
</Warning>

### update

Update an existing account.

```bash theme={null}
tomo account update <address> [options]
```

#### Options

<ParamField path="datadir" type="string">
  Data directory for the databases and keystore
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="keystore" type="string">
  Directory for the keystore (default = inside the datadir)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="lightkdf" type="boolean">
  Reduce key-derivation RAM & CPU usage at some expense of KDF strength
</ParamField>

#### Description

Update an existing account. The account is saved in the newest version in encrypted format. You are prompted for a passphrase to unlock the account and another to save the updated file.

This command can be used to:

* Migrate an account to the newest format
* Change the password for an account (interactive mode only)

#### Example

```bash theme={null}
tomo account update 0x1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678
```

You will be prompted:

```
Unlocking account 0x1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678 | Attempt 1/3
Passphrase: [enter old password]
Please give a new password. Do not forget this password.
Passphrase: [enter new password]
Repeat passphrase: [confirm new password]
```

<Info>
  When using --password flag, only format update can be performed. Changing your password is only possible interactively.
</Info>

### import

Import a private key into a new account.

```bash theme={null}
tomo account import <keyfile> [options]
```

#### Options

<ParamField path="datadir" type="string">
  Data directory for the databases and keystore
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="keystore" type="string">
  Directory for the keystore (default = inside the datadir)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="password" type="string">
  Password file to use for non-interactive password input
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="lightkdf" type="boolean">
  Reduce key-derivation RAM & CPU usage at some expense of KDF strength
</ParamField>

#### Description

Imports an unencrypted private key from `<keyfile>` and creates a new account. The keyfile is assumed to contain an unencrypted private key in hexadecimal format.

The account is saved in encrypted format, you are prompted for a passphrase.

#### Example - Private Key File

Create a file `private_key.txt` containing your private key:

```
1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef
```

Then import it:

```bash theme={null}
tomo account import private_key.txt
```

Output:

```
Your new account is locked with a password. Please give a password. Do not forget this password.
Passphrase: 
Repeat passphrase: 
Address: {0x1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678}
```

#### Non-Interactive Example

```bash theme={null}
tomo account import private_key.txt --password /path/to/password.txt
```

<Warning>
  As you can directly copy your encrypted accounts to another Viction instance, this import mechanism is not needed when you transfer an account between nodes. Simply copy the keystore files instead.
</Warning>

## Wallet Commands

The `tomo wallet` command manages Tomochain presale wallets.

```bash theme={null}
tomo wallet <command> [options]
```

### wallet import

Import Tomochain presale wallet.

```bash theme={null}
tomo wallet import <keyFile> [options]
```

#### Options

<ParamField path="datadir" type="string">
  Data directory for the databases and keystore
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="keystore" type="string">
  Directory for the keystore (default = inside the datadir)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="password" type="string">
  Password file to use for non-interactive password input
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="lightkdf" type="boolean">
  Reduce key-derivation RAM & CPU usage at some expense of KDF strength
</ParamField>

#### Example

```bash theme={null}
tomo wallet import /path/to/presale.wallet
```

You will be prompted for the wallet password:

```
Passphrase: 
Address: {0x1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678}
```

## Common Workflows

### Creating a Masternode Account

1. Create a new account:

```bash theme={null}
tomo account new
```

2. Backup the keystore file (located in `~/.tomo/keystore/`)

3. Note the address printed after creation

4. Fund the account with VIC tokens

5. Register the account as a masternode on TomoMaster

### Recovering an Account

1. Obtain your private key

2. Save it to a temporary file (remove after import):

```bash theme={null}
echo "your_private_key_hex" > temp_key.txt
```

3. Import the key:

```bash theme={null}
tomo account import temp_key.txt
```

4. Securely delete the temporary file:

```bash theme={null}
shred -u temp_key.txt
```

### Listing All Accounts

```bash theme={null}
tomo account list --datadir ~/.tomo
```

### Updating Account Security

To update an old keystore format or change password:

```bash theme={null}
tomo account update 0xYourAddress
```

## Security Best Practices

<Card title="Backup Your Keystore" icon="shield">
  Always backup the keystore directory before making changes. Store backups in multiple secure locations.
</Card>

<Card title="Use Strong Passwords" icon="lock">
  Use strong, unique passwords for each account. Consider using a password manager.
</Card>

<Card title="Secure Private Keys" icon="key">
  Never share your private keys or keystore files. Never store private keys in plain text.
</Card>

<Card title="Test on Testnet First" icon="flask">
  Always test account operations on testnet before using on mainnet, especially for automation scripts.
</Card>

## Keystore File Format

Keystore files are JSON files encrypted with your password using the Web3 Secret Storage Definition. They contain:

* Encrypted private key
* Encryption parameters (cipher, KDF settings)
* MAC for integrity verification
* Account address

Example filename format:

```
UTC--2024-01-01T12-30-45.123456789Z--1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678
```

## Troubleshooting

### Account Not Found

If `tomo account list` doesn't show your account:

1. Verify you're using the correct `--datadir`
2. Check if keystore files exist in `<datadir>/keystore/`
3. Ensure keystore files have proper permissions (readable by tomo)

### Failed to Unlock Account

If you cannot unlock an account:

1. Verify you're using the correct password
2. Check if the keystore file is corrupted (restore from backup)
3. Ensure the account address matches the keystore file

### Ambiguous Address Error

If multiple keystore files exist for the same address:

```
Multiple key files exist for address 0x...
```

The CLI will test your password against all matches and select the correct one. Remove duplicate files after verification.

## See Also

* [tomo Command](/cli/tomo-command) - Main command overview
* [Console Commands](/cli/console-commands) - Interactive console for account management
* [Flags Reference](/cli/flags-reference) - Complete flag reference